Thursday, July 12, 2012

Where to Stay in Tokyo: Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi

One of the major deciding factors to answering the question, How was your travel trip? largely depends on the hotel that you choose to stay, I am sure you all agree. It is one thing that can make or mar your trip, polish it or blur it towards oblivion. Which is why I was so eagerly looking forward to the Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi in Japan booked for me by the travel company, Expedia!

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Tokyo

And I don’t know if I am doing it right in disclosing this beforehand, but Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi did score excellently well on my scorecard.

First Glance - Entrance

At first glance itself, the hotel spelt luxury. The lobby was spacious, well lit up with a pleasant and an obliging English speaking front desk.

The Lobby area after entrance -the reception on the left and the breakfast area to the rightof the picture.

Complimentary Breakfast

In one part of the reception area, there was a complimentary buffet style breakfast to start the day that came along with our room price.

Guests dining at the breakfast seating area in the lobby

Quite elaborate with a wide range of exotic items like miso soup, rice, yoghurt, salad, different types of bread, milk, orange juice, tea, coffee; the lavish spread was an absolute treat to the senses.

Cabbage Salad and chopsticks in the foreground

Miso soup - This is non vegetarian

Green and Black tea, kept on a burner

Milk breadbuns - similar to the Indian bun paav

... And this was my favorite -

The Chilled Orange juice!

My Plate: Vegetarian Options

While pure veggies don’t have much of a choice but for us the combination of milk-bread, butter and the orange juice worked wonders and ensured that our day started on a healthy and a filling note.

My Plate looked the same on all the three daysconsisting of milk bread, butter and juice.

My Room

My room had a cozy and a warm set up that came along with a special queen bed. I flopped on it, tired and weary every night and this made it quite hard for me to leave it the next morning. The room was big enough for two people to fit in comfortably and clean enough for a homely stay. They weren’t anything elaborate, just simple and comfortable. The allure of this room, for me, simply lied in its uncluttered details.

My Queen Bed!

Amenities and Facilities

The amenities in the room integrated a small refrigerator with slip-ons and night pyjamas included.

The night pyjamas made for a pretty picture of amusement..And no, I did not use them! :-)

The Bathroom

But what absolutely caught my fancy was the bathroom. The tap water was filtered and good to drink, toiletries provided were fragrant with a delicate scent - refurnished as soon as we used them and the toilet seat looked more like a toy with buttons and lights! (More on that in a later post though)

I drank this water everyday.

The Mineral water bottle was too costly,

and this proved to be a pretty safe bet instead!

The other freebies- toothbrush, paste et al

Free Wi Fi and Internet Access

Apart from this, the hotel also offered the usual amenities like free wifi access in all the rooms that are the hallmark of every luxury hotel today.

The Business center at the ground floor with two PC's-- this was my temporary work area too.

The language was set Japanese and could not be changed

but thankfully, Gmail was an exception!

And... to cap all of the above,

These were the views to which I opened my eyes every morning...

[This picture was taken somewhere around as early as 4.15 am...

Yes, the sun rises that early in Japan.]

So, Should you stay in Hotel Villa Fontaine?

YES

Simply because, the 3 days that we spent in the hotel in many ways set up our trip in Tokyo, not only because of its ambiance but because of its courteous staff as well. Voluntarily offering to keep our luggage at the reception area, personally attending us with the subway map route and sight seeing options when asked for and helping us track the veggie options from the breakfast buffet are just some of the things that will ensure that I come back to this hotel, the next time we come to this beautiful city and recommend it to you as well.

Facts and Tips for Travelers:

1. One thing that you need to be careful of is thecheck in
time. They are quite firm about it and wont allow you in before their
predefined point. However, the good side to it is that in case you
happen to drop in before time like we did, the staff is helping enough
to safely shelter your luggage till you secure your room later. That’s
it though, they dont entertain any more requests in this regard, no
matter how long your travel has been or how tired you are, and you are
left to take care of yourself.

Timings: Check-In: 15:00 Check-Out: 11:00.

2. Conveniently located right adjacent to the
Roppongi-itchome station, Hotel Villa Fontaine gives you easy access to
the subway train network that connects you to the rest of Tokyo.

3. I am not too sure what use addresses serve when trying to reach a place
in Japan. My personal experience says that people hardly identify
places by their exact addresses. Its better to know the nearest station to your hotel beforehand, well in advance and then ask
for the place after alighting at the correct station.4. Do a thorough research on the web for places to stay before deciding on one especially if you are travelling solo and on a budget - you can find some really cool best hostels to stay for solo travellers in Tokyo.

What a terrific hotel, Arti, and what a great, informative post -- as always! I would love to visit there! I worked for a Japanese company in Oregon until I retired and I have many friends in Japan! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Thank you everyone for your visits and comments. Glad to see all of you here and highly appreciate your feedback. :-)

@Michelle @Mareta

Agree. Vegetarian food was hard to find in Japan and since people are not very familiar with the word - pure vegetarian - it made things all the more difficult for us.

The vegetarian platter in the buffet didn't have too many options to pick from but still we felt quite lucky to have something at least as against to nothing and whatever little was on offer was also quite good to have.

@gigihawaii

The tap water in Japan is generally safe, especially when they themselves claim it to be.

About the queen bed, that is interesting to know. Ours was big and wide enough for 2 people to fit in comfortably... Do you remember the hotel where you'd stayed? How was your overall experience with it?

I’m proud that Japan’s public transportation system is very efficient, convenient, and punctual. However, I get so confused in Tokyo with Tokyo Metro, Metropolitan Subway, JR... and whatever. I think you know now more station names than I. I’m relieved the hotel staff was a great help.

Thank you @Rakesh Kumar ji. There were no fruits, cornflakes or the like only bread, plain rice (with no curry), salad and beverages available for pure vegetarians in the breakfast buffet.

@stardust I am so happy to hear from you, Yoko :)

Japan's transportation is really very convenient and I cant stop admiring its efficiency. I myself don't know much of the different train lines but I did manage to get a bit of hang on the subway train route map of Tokyo from second day onwards and enjoyed traveling in the trains after that.

Hi Arti,That Roppongi Hotel must be pleased to get a good word of mouth from you. I'm glad you were quite satisfied with its location, amenities, friendly staff...

The public transportation system is so efficient in Tokyo but I hear the rush-hour is a nightmare, though I remember your talking about how overcrowded the train in Mumbai is! Anyway it's good that you have a good sense of direction to move around for yourself using maps. Looking forward to your next report.Cosmos Keiko

Hello Arti,Wow, Roppongi is one of the most posh areas in Tokyo, but taking a close look at the town, it still has kept a local, traditional atmosphere.I am very glad to know your travel in Tokyo was quite satisfactory! I have a very bad sense of direction. In Osaka or Kyoto, even Nara, I get lost many times. But when it comes to public transportation in Tokyo, they are superb and easier to take a transfer, comparing with public transportation of Osaka or Kyoto. I got lost less in Tokyo.Arti, wasn't you surprised to find how deep in the ground the subway stations are located? I am sorry, I missed your former blogs.I enjoyed reading all. Have a great weekend!keiko

Oh I love the look of the room - sparse and simple yet with a touch of elegance. You've done a masterful job of relaying your experience and review.I'm thinking I would have a difficult time with the food - I'm not only vegetarian but also I must eat gluten-free food and it seems that would be difficult to find - gluten-free.Thanks for a wonderful tour of the hotel! Happy day to you.

Arti, we stayed at the Hotel Pacific in Shinagawa. It was a very nice hotel. I was told later that beds in Japan tend to be smaller than beds in the USA, perhaps because the people are smaller. David is a big man and requires a king size (American) bed. But, we both enjoyed the elegant restaurants in the hotel. The breakfast buffet was outstanding.

Another wonderful travel log. You make traveling sound so easy. I wish I could just up and go sometimes. If I did I would have to come to one of your blogs and take all your travel advice. I so have to know exactly where I am staying and what I will be doing. So until then I live my travels through people like you. Thanks for sharing. Hugs Carrie

Very nice pictures and very informative....I love these buffet breakfasts at hotels...The sight of the lavish lay out really perks you up ...And unfortunately in many of them, vegetarians can have only bread and juice :) And 'Good To Drink' Tap water? Wow!! :)

WOW! Arti, what a wonderful visual experience reading your posts, as always. You don't leave any stone unturned, do you? Each and every detail is so accurate and to the point. The hotel looks lovely. :)

PS: I am also a vegetarian, and I am happy to see you go through lengths to find veggie food. :)

Hi Arti, Thanks a ton for your encouraging words about my blog. You have a wonderful wonderful blog and I have not even covered half of it, it seems like a treasure trove. Your Japan pictures are awesome, and yes I am your next follower and regular reader .. sooo glad to meet you... take care..

Looks like a lovely hotel! And Miso soup for breakfast?? LOL! I love the cute little sign on the water tap, and the pyjamas, what a sweet little touch! I love hotels that add little nitbits like that. Needless to say, you had a fabulous time, didn't you?

This looks like a very simple, clean hotel which I often prefer. But, cabbage and miso soup for breakfast?? Not exactly very heartyto start your day, eh lol?? Thank you for all of the detailed pictures! Good post :)

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Hi there! I am Arti - constantly on the road, both figuratively and literally, unwrapping my unique gift called life. My blog, which focuses on spiritual journeys, is all about my love of sharing, exploring and learning; a continuous journey where I strive to seek the truth, discover myself, the world, my place therein and experience the real treasures of life along the way. I hope to help those planning to make a trip to these places or simply provide a virtual tour to the rest.
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